I turned 50 without stress. I decided not to bother myself with any cooking.
I like entertaining and giving my guests the freedom to choose and explore different tastes to satisfy their cravings, and let their palates get lost in a plethora of flavors. To achieve this, I called on friends in the business whose expertise I relied on to make my golden-year celebration unforgettable.
Karla Reyes’ cheese buffet
The highlight of the evening I spent with family was the Cheese Buffet by Karla Reyes of La Petite Fromagerie.
I have known Karla from when she was just a little girl. It was evident even then that she would follow in her mom Millie’s footsteps. Her frequent visits to The Plaza Catering kitchens and her innate interest in her mom’s daily work routine let her blossom into a formidable lady.
On her own, Karla has set up food concepts. A company that specializes in cheese buffets is one of them.
La Petite Fromagerie came to be upon Millie’s request. Karla recounted how her mom asked for a cheese spread for her birthday in 2016.
To grant Millie’s wish, Karla imported a raclette machine from Switzerland to surprise her. She added brie, camembert, gorgonzola, crackers, fruits and nuts to complete the spread. The guests at the party were so pleased that two of them booked her services for the weekend.
“So that week, I made my packages, website, logo, branding, etc., and word spread quickly.” The rest is history, she said.
For my dinner, Karla prepared a raclette station alongside a selection of cheeses: manchego, gruyère, brie, gorgonzola, and delicious truffle cream cheese spread with honey. It was a hit!
Karla’s latest creation is the four-tiered “cheesecake” tower —literally, wheels of cheese one on top of the other.
Most of the varieties that go into the cheese tower are fresh and flown in weekly from France. It is beautiful to look at and makes an interesting alternative to a wedding cake. The cheese tower package includes flowers crackers, fruits and nuts, and the overall styling.
The services of La Petit Fromagerie comes with a cheese server and everything else that makes a cheese spread complete. Upon your request, cold cuts may be added, too.
Reyes also offers a Grilled Cheese Buffet—for children’s parties, school fairs and concerts.
You may also want to try her Swizzle Mobile Bar, a beverage catering company that specializes in alcoholic and nonalcoholic slushees.
Call 0917-7912865; email lapetitefromagerie.mnl@gmail.com
Johnlu Koa’s L’Artizan
L’Artizan is Johnlu’s playground—his home away from home. It is his best expression of himself through food. At L’Artizan, Koa handpicks everything to the last detail, from the cutlery to the teapots, table linens, etc.
Johnlu now transports the whole experience to your home.
I left my birthday brunch celebration for my friends and students in his hands, and what a lovely morning it turned out to be.
My menu: Croissant Sandwich Bar (choice of filling— chicken salad or smoked salmon); Crepe Station (choice of mango strawberry, bacon mushroom or salmon); Mini Quiche (served warm); Cream Puff; Mini Danish; Fruit tart; Parisian macaron; Eclair.
Not only was the setup beautiful, but also my guests kept raving about how deliciously pretty it all turned out to be.
Call 0917-5422965.
Cherry Cruz’s bar
To complete my birthday brunch, I called Cherry, who sent me her barista to prepare iced coffee and tea preparations, with frappes and blended fruit drinks.
I have relied on her bar service time and again for the quality of its offerings. People rave about her concoctions everywhere I take them.
The brand of coffee she uses is Curve. Curve Coffee Collaborator is a local organization that has been involved in the specialty coffee trade for 19 years, and works closely with farmers and their communities.
With these farmer partners, the company Hardwork Local Specialty Coffees was established; it gathers coffee from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
At my party, each cup was a revelation. The popular ones included Maisog, which was all about Mindanao—the arabica and robusta beans all sourced from Bukidnon and the neighboring towns of Davao; Altitude, a blend of premium Columbia, Asian and Ethiopian green coffees, locally roasted and with a flavor profile of chocolate and fruity dried cherries and a wine-y aftertaste; and Momentum, which tasted of dark chocolate with roasted almonds, made primarily of Columbian greens and a bit of Indonesian coffee.
Call 0922-8337374.